Open source is the beginning of long-term trust.
SingLinkVPN has formally launched its open-source and technical research programme and created the official SingLinkVPN Open Source and Technical Research repository on GitHub.
This is not a one-off publication exercise or a document page intended only for browsing. It is a long-term engineering effort that will be updated continuously and expanded over time.
The material available today is the first phase of the wider programme.
Phase one covers public technical documentation, security and privacy models, reproducible performance-testing methods, machine-readable data formats, a framework for public datasets, report directories, research tools, a security-disclosure process, and evidence-publication standards.
In later phases, SingLinkVPN plans to release further technical material, research reports, and product source code in stages, subject to security, privacy, licensing, and product-stability review. Planned areas include the VPN protocol, VPN clients, and other core VPN technology that is suitable for publication after review.
The current release is therefore not the end of the programme. It is the first step in an ongoing open-source process.
The official repository now contains docs, data, reports, tools, tests, and GitHub automation directories for maintaining public documentation, research data, security material, performance tests, and open validation tools. The repository is explicitly described as an actively maintained project.
Official repository: SingLinkLabs / singlink-vpn-open-source Current status: Phase one is public. Additional technical material, research reports, and product source code will be released in stages.
Why is SingLinkVPN launching an open-source programme?
A VPN is closely connected to network transport, security, privacy, and data processing.
Most of a VPN service operates inside systems that users cannot observe directly. Users may see the application interface, server list, connection speed, and product description, but cannot easily confirm:
how published speed results were measured;
which software version and network environment were used;
whether failed tests were recorded completely;
whether a security statement is a policy commitment, an internal test, or an independent assessment;
whether a report includes dates, versions, methods, and correction history;
whether another researcher can reproduce the result;
whether technical and security changes can be tracked across versions.
Brand statements alone cannot fully answer these questions.
The programme is intended to turn SingLinkVPN's technical, security, privacy, and performance information from product claims into public material that others can inspect, cite, verify, reproduce, and continue to scrutinise.
This requires a continuing publication system rather than simply putting files online:
important technical material must have a defined version;
measurable claims must identify the test date and environment;
performance results must be supported by corresponding data;
internal tests and third-party assessments must be clearly distinguished;
material corrections must leave a public record;
product source code must be released in phases after security review;
the community must be able to check data structure and completeness with public tools.
The repository requires each measurable claim to include the test date, software version, environment, method, sample size, raw or aggregated data, and known limitations. Unverifiable superlatives such as “fastest,” “safest,” or absolute privacy claims are not treated as evidence.
What is available in phase one?
Phase one establishes eight public workstreams:
VPN development architecture and public technical documentation;
SingLinkVPN product and version records;
a security and privacy model;
reproducible performance-testing methods;
test-data formats and a public dataset framework;
security, performance, and transparency report directories;
open data-validation and research tools;
vulnerability reporting and responsible disclosure.
Together, these provide the foundation required for later source-code publication, public data, and independent research.
1. Public VPN development architecture and technical documentation
Phase one includes a cross-platform VPN client architecture.
It is not tied to one programming language or operating system. Instead, it describes the principal modules a cross-platform VPN client needs, including its interface, connection lifecycle, tunnel management, routing, DNS, configuration, security testing, and local diagnostics.
1. Interface layer
The interface layer presents account status, server selection, connection state, errors, diagnostic results, and accessibility features.
The connection state shown in the interface must be derived from the actual connection state machine, not merely from whether a user pressed the connect button.
2. Session-orchestration layer
This layer handles:
connection;
disconnection;
automatic retry;
network changes;
device sleep and wake;
application restart;
recovery after an abnormal interruption.
It must prevent stale connection results from overwriting newer work and ensure repeated actions do not create conflicts.
3. Tunnel-adapter layer
This layer integrates with native VPN APIs on different operating systems, including:
packet input and output;
the tunnel lifecycle;
MTU configuration;
operating-system permissions;
background-execution restrictions;
tunnel-interruption callbacks.
4. Routing and DNS layer
This layer manages:
default routes;
split tunnelling;
excluded routes;
DNS selection;
IPv4 and IPv6 policy;
local-network access;
DNS and route-leak protection.
Leak testing cannot be limited to the initial connection. It also needs to cover reconnection, network changes, sleep and wake, and abnormal application termination.
5. Transport layer
The transport layer is responsible for authenticated sessions, transport behaviour, congestion handling, keepalive policy, and network migration.
6. Configuration layer
The configuration layer processes versioned, signed, and minimised remote configuration and rejects invalid, expired, or downgraded configuration.
7. Observability layer
Subject to privacy protections, this layer provides:
local health state;
connection diagnostics;
error classification;
reproducible test output;
technical status data that does not contain a user's network activity.
The current release covers high-level architecture and secure-development principles. More specific modules and source code will be added only after the corresponding reviews are complete.
2. A versioned public product record
SingLinkVPN has also established a public product record that separates different kinds of information.
Product facts
These include:
supported platforms;
public versions;
release dates;
official download sources;
available checksums;
material feature and compatibility changes.
Architecture descriptions
These provide high-level designs without exposing sensitive systems, credentials, or production environments.
Measurement results
Performance and technical findings must include their date, method, environment, sample, and supporting data.
Policy statements
These cover product operations, security, and privacy commitments. A policy statement is not presented as independent verification.
This separation helps prevent policy, internal testing, implementation details, and independent research from being conflated. Formal release records will progressively include platform, version, date, source, available checksums, material security and compatibility changes, known limitations, and immutable Git tags or Release links.
3. A public security and privacy model
Security cannot be described only with words such as “secure” or “encrypted.”
Phase one therefore publishes a security and privacy model defining the risks that later tests, reports, and independent assessments should examine.
The current threat scope includes:
local-network traffic observation;
DNS leaks;
IPv6 leaks;
WebRTC leaks;
route interruption during reconnection;
traffic protection when moving between Wi-Fi and mobile networks;
malicious changes to remote configuration;
configuration downgrade;
exposure of credentials stored on a device;
third-party dependency risk;
build and release supply-chain risk;
account abuse;
unauthorised sessions;
excessive collection of diagnostic or support data.
Every public security test must identify:
the affected client version;
the operating system;
the test date;
network conditions;
the method;
expected behaviour;
observed behaviour;
known limitations.
The model also separates policy, architecture documentation, internal testing, and third-party assessment.
Only a report by a named independent assessor or researcher, supported by a verifiable report, may be labelled a third-party assessment. This creates a consistent and auditable standard for future security reports.
4. A reproducible VPN performance-testing method
VPN performance is affected by many external factors:
the tester's country or region;
broadband or mobile provider;
local-network quality;
international transit;
time of day;
device performance;
client version;
protocol;
server load;
test server;
destination region.
A single peak speed therefore does not represent every user's experience.
The published method requires each record to include:
the UTC test time;
a unique test identifier;
client version;
operating system;
device type;
protocol label;
methodology version;
test country or region;
network type;
sample count;
evidence level.
The principal metrics are:
Median connection latency
Median latency in milliseconds across multiple samples, rather than one best result.
95th-percentile jitter
The higher level of latency variation observed across most samples.
Packet-loss rate
The proportion of packets lost during testing.
Median download speed
Median download throughput in Mbps across multiple samples.
Median upload speed
Median upload throughput in Mbps across multiple samples.
Connection success rate
The percentage of successful attempts in repeated connection tests.
Median reconnection time
The median time needed to recover after a network change or interruption.
The formal workflow is:
record the baseline network without the VPN;
hold the device, network, destination, and sampling window constant;
run an uncounted warm-up;
repeat connection and transfer tests;
retain failed samples rather than silently deleting them;
publish aggregate results and machine-readable data;
disclose known limitations, outages, and excluded samples.
Like-for-like tests must use comparable conditions. A change of provider, route, device, test server, or sampling window must be disclosed. Dated, versioned, downloadable datasets will be added under this method as testing continues.
5. A machine-readable public test-data format
Alongside human-readable reports, SingLinkVPN publishes a machine-readable performance-data format.
The JSON Schema requires each performance record to include:
test_id: test identifier;
tested_at_utc: UTC test time;
client_version: client version;
platform: test platform;
protocol_label: protocol label;
country: test country or region;
network_type: network type;
sample_count: sample count;
latency_ms_median: median latency;
jitter_ms_p95: 95th-percentile jitter;
packet_loss_pct: packet-loss rate;
download_mbps_median: median download speed;
upload_mbps_median: median upload speed;
connection_success_pct: connection success rate;
reconnect_ms_median: median reconnection time;
methodology_version: method version;
evidence_level: evidence level.
Evidence can currently be marked as:
internal testing;
independent reproduction;
third-party assessment.
The format lets developers and researchers inspect required fields and value ranges directly and use the same structure for reproduction and comparison rather than relying only on charts or narrative conclusions.
6. Security, performance, and transparency reports
The repository contains a dedicated reports directory for continuing publication of:
security reports;
performance reports;
privacy research;
transparency reports;
third-party assessments;
independently reproduced results;
material security-fix advisories.
Before publication, each formal report must state:
publication date;
author or maintainer;
affected product version;
method;
data source;
evidence level;
known limitations;
correction history.
Internal tests and independent assessments use different labels. Phase one establishes the report structure, evidence rules, and versioning framework; reports will be added as their data and review become ready rather than published once and abandoned.
7. Open validation and research tools
Phase one also publishes several Python research and validation tools.
publication_guard.py
This checks documents, data, and tools before publication for:
credentials;
key formats;
private paths;
archives;
binary files;
source-code types that are not approved for publication;
oversized files;
common live-secret formats;
content that may describe sensitive systems.
validate_benchmark.py
This validates performance-test CSV files, including:
column names;
required fields;
numerical ranges;
evidence labels;
test-data structure.
check_relative_links.py
This checks relative links in Markdown and confirms that referenced public files exist.
check_multilingual_seo.py
This checks multilingual documents and search-related structure to help keep English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese material aligned.
These tools are not the VPN connection core. They are publication infrastructure intended to reduce formatting errors, broken links, accidental exposure of sensitive information, and version inconsistency. External contributors can use the same tools on their submissions.
8. A five-level public evidence standard
Level one: policy statement
A product, security, operational, or privacy commitment published by the maintainer. It is a public commitment, not proof of implementation or an independent audit.
Level two: implementation documentation
A versioned high-level technical description that does not contain server addresses, credentials, private APIs, or other sensitive information.
Level three: internal testing
A test run by SingLinkLabs under a public method with date, version, environment, and data.
Level four: reproduced result
An independent result obtained by another developer or researcher using the same method and public data.
Level five: third-party assessment
An assessment by a named independent researcher or organisation with a verifiable formal report.
These levels are not interchangeable. Internal tests cannot be labelled third-party assessment; policy cannot be treated as independent verification; and publishing a method does not mean a result has already been reproduced.
Each report should answer: who reached the conclusion, when, with which version, and by which method?
Material corrections require a new Git commit and changelog entry. Published data must not be silently replaced, and superseded data must remain identifiable.
9. Vulnerability reporting and responsible disclosure
Open publication and safe disclosure must operate together.
Unpatched vulnerabilities, live credentials, private endpoints, server addresses, and user data must not be posted in a public Issue.
Vulnerability reports must be sent privately through the security email address or GitHub Security Advisories and clearly identified as security disclosures. If no security email address is published, consult the repository's `SECURITY.md` and do not guess an address.
A report should include:
affected version;
affected platform;
reproduction conditions;
security impact;
a safe way to contact the reporter;
reproduction material that contains no real user data.
Security reports pass through:
triage and confirmation;
impact assessment;
remediation;
release of a fixed version;
a reasonable update window;
publication of a security advisory.
Public advisories distinguish confirmed impact from hypothetical risk and identify affected and fixed versions.
10. Public data does not mean public user data
Technical transparency must not come at the expense of user privacy.
The repository prohibits Issues, pull requests, datasets, or research documents from containing:
personal data;
account identifiers;
payment data;
support conversations;
private IP addresses;
access tokens;
production credentials;
production logs;
raw production traffic;
test data that can identify an individual user.
Performance data must be aggregated or de-identified. Reviewers must confirm before publication that a dataset contains no user-level data, credentials, or material that can identify a real user.
The programme makes technology, methods, reports, and reviewed source code transparent. It does not publish user information, security-sensitive server data, or production credentials.
11. How can the community participate?
Developers, security researchers, and community members can:
improve technical documentation;
correct documentation errors;
improve Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and English translations;
improve reproducibility of the test method;
improve public-data quality;
improve accessibility;
add research tools;
improve format validation;
find broken links;
propose new public research methods;
suggest improvements to test design;
reproduce public tests within the security rules.
Contributions must not contain:
unapproved product source code;
private infrastructure information;
credentials or keys;
user data;
private endpoints;
production logs;
complete exploit instructions for an unpatched vulnerability.
Every measurable contribution must also identify its source, method, date, and limitations.
Does this mean SingLinkVPN is now fully open source?
No. This is the first phase, not the final phase.
Phase one prioritises:
technical documentation;
development architecture;
security and privacy models;
performance-testing methods;
machine-readable data formats;
validation tools;
evidence and publication policy;
responsible disclosure;
a framework for later reports and source-code releases.
The following are not included in phase one:
the complete VPN client source;
server-side source code;
payment-system source code;
production server configuration;
private APIs;
authentication credentials;
sensitive anti-blocking or network-adversarial implementation details;
the complete core-protocol source code.
They are not necessarily excluded from the overall programme. Each product module needs separate security, privacy, dependency, and licensing review.
Once review is complete, later releases will include:
a clearly defined open-source directory;
the relevant licence;
version history;
security boundaries;
a changelog;
publication date;
a verifiable Git tag or Release.
Building publication standards, data structures, security rules, and research tools first creates a safer foundation and reduces the risk of exposing credentials, infrastructure, user data, or third-party code that cannot legally be redistributed.
Licences will be defined as additional material is released
The current repository can be viewed publicly, but complete reuse licences for code and content are still being organised by material and source-code type.
Until an explicit licence is published, users must not assume they have received:
the right to copy;
the right to modify;
the right to redistribute;
the right to use commercially;
the right to relicense.
Clear licensing is an essential part of formal open source. Each later release of source, documentation, data, or tools will include terms appropriate to its dependencies, upstream licences, and intended use.
This avoids applying one module's licence incorrectly to another and protects contributors, upstream projects, and downstream users.
Long-term direction of the programme
The direction is clear: continuously increase the amount of technical material that is public, verifiable, and reproducible.
1. Continue expanding public technical documentation
This includes connection lifecycles, routing, DNS, network changes, secure configuration, and testing on different platforms.
2. Continue publishing versioned product records
Records will add platforms, versions, dates, checksums, material changes, known limitations, and stable citation links.
3. Continue adding real performance datasets
Dated, versioned, environment-specific, machine-readable data will be published under the public method.
4. Continue publishing security, performance, and transparency reports
Reports will distinguish policy, internal testing, independent reproduction, and third-party assessment.
5. Encourage independent reproduction
Researchers can use the same methods and formats to compare different networks, devices, and regions.
6. Continue improving publication and data tools
Automation will expand around formatting, security, documentation, and test workflow.
7. Release VPN product source code in stages
After security, privacy, dependency, and licensing review, planned protocol, client, and other core technology will be released progressively.
8. Build a fuller disclosure and correction record
Material security issues, affected versions, fixed versions, and follow-up updates will have a clear history.
The repository contains citation metadata. Researchers should cite tagged Releases, immutable commits, and the dated report or dataset actually used rather than undated promotional material.
From public statements to sustainable verification
Open source should not be only a launch event.
Long-term open source requires maintenance, outside participation, clear licensing, version management, security fixes, and technical material that others can verify and reproduce.
Starting with documentation, research methods, data formats, evidence standards, reporting structures, and validation tools establishes the foundation for broader source publication.
First, establish a public entry point
Technical, security, privacy, and performance material that was previously dispersed is brought together in a maintained GitHub repository.
Second, establish publication standards
The programme defines what can be published, which fields tests must contain, how evidence is classified, and how corrections are recorded.
Third, establish the foundation for later open source
Security, privacy, licensing, and version-management processes are prepared for reports, datasets, protocols, clients, and other modules.
Phase one therefore does not present a limited initial release as the entire result. It opens a process designed to expand.
Frequently asked questions
Has SingLinkVPN formally launched its open-source programme?
Yes. The official open-source and technical research repository is live, and phase-one documentation, research methods, data formats, and validation tools are public.
Is all VPN source code public now?
No. Protocol, client, and other product source code will be released module by module after security, privacy, dependency, and licensing review.
Why not publish everything at once?
A VPN product may contain production-server information, credentials, private APIs, sensitive defensive mechanisms, third-party dependencies, and code under different licences.
Staged review reduces the risk of exposing user data, infrastructure details, live credentials, or third-party code that cannot be redistributed.
Will real performance data be published?
Yes. The method and machine-readable format are the first step. Dated, versioned data and reports will follow with environment, sample size, and limitations.
Will security and transparency reports be public?
Yes. The repository has a dedicated report directory and publication rules. Reports will be added when their evidence, methods, versions, and limitations are ready.
Does publishing a security model mean a third-party audit is complete?
No. The security model is a public basis for later testing and assessment.
A third-party assessment will identify the assessor and link to a verifiable report. It will not be presented as internal testing.
What can developers contribute?
Developers can contribute to documentation, translation, research methods, data quality, accessibility, validation tools, and test reproduction.
Security vulnerabilities must be reported privately, not posted in a public Issue.
Will public data contain user data?
No. Public data must be aggregated or de-identified and cannot contain account data, payment data, private IP addresses, access tokens, production logs, or raw production traffic.
Conclusion: open source is the beginning of long-term trust
The SingLinkVPN open-source programme is now under way.
Phase one establishes technical documentation, research methods, evidence standards, data formats, disclosure rules, reporting structures, and validation tools.
More security, performance, and transparency reports will follow. More public data will be added in a consistent format. More technical material and product source will be released in stages after security, privacy, and licensing review.
This is not a one-off brand announcement or the final step. It is a continuing engineering effort.
Our goal is to turn SingLinkVPN's technical, security, privacy, and performance information from material described only by the brand into public evidence that the community can inspect, cite, verify, reproduce, and continue to scrutinise.
We welcome developers, security researchers, technical media, and community users who want to improve documentation, reproduce research, validate data, and take part in technical discussion.
Open source is the beginning of long-term trust.
And this is only the first step.